Murder in a Cornish Alehouse

October 12, 2015
In Emerson’s able second Mistress Jaffrey mystery set in Tudor England (after 2014’s Murder in the Queen’s Wardrobe), Godlina Walkenden quarrels violently with her brother-in-law, London mercer Hugo Hackett, over his plans to marry her to Allesandro Portinari, an Italian silk merchant she suspects of having syphilis. When Hackett’s wife
discovers Lina holding a knife over his bloody corpse, Lina flees the city and seeks help from Lady Susanna Appleton (the protagonist of Emerson’s Face Down series) and Rosamund Jaffrey, an unconventional gentlewoman with experience in intelligence gathering. Rosamund, aided by her husband, Rob, and Lady Susanna, exploits her skills in languages and disguise to investigate suspects, including Allesandro and Hackett’s vindictive widow. The stakes rise when the extensive secret inquiries of the Elizabeth I’s spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, overlap with their own. Complex family backstory slows the opening, but evocative period detail and the warmth of Rosamund’s byplay with Rob make for a satisfying read. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

February 20, 2017
Set in 1584, Emerson’s swashbuckling third Mistress Jaffrey mystery (after 2015’s Murder in the Merchant’s Hall) takes Rosamond Jaffrey, a gentlewoman who has worked as an intelligence gatherer, from London to Cornwall, where her stepfather, Sir Walter Pendennis, has suddenly died. Rosamond makes the trip reluctantly, since she’s estranged from her greedy, grasping mother, Eleanor, who disapproves of Rosamond’s devoted husband, Rob. Soon after she and Rob arrive at her mother’s house, Eleanor informs Rosamond that Sir Walter was murdered. Evidently, something he discovered in his work as an espionage agent led to his death. The astute and fearless Rosamond, who’s a dab hand with knives, investigates. The action shifts to Ireland, where she’s kidnapped and has her honor threatened. At the climax on the high seas, she must deal with a literal boatload of spies and counterspies. Those interested in the fashion and cultural history of the period, not to mention Cornish dialect, will find a lot to like. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

December 15, 2015
When Rosamond Jaffrey's friend Lina Walkenden is accused of murdering her brother-in-law and guardian, Rosamond is convinced that Lina is innocent. Vowing to help find the real killer, Rosamondunlike most women living in the sixteenth centuryisn't above donning disguises, carrying a weapon to defend herself, and traveling about London in ways usually forbidden to females. Although she's not new to murder investigations, having worked for Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster for Elizabeth I, Rosamond faces a tough one here, what with conflicting stories, unconfirmed alibis, a plethora of suspects, and a growing fear that Lina did indeed kill her uncle. Meanwhile, she is temporarily distracted by another mystery that puts her back in contact with the dangerous Walsingham. This fine new addition to Emerson's popular historical series offers a genuinely gripping mystery, an appealing protagonist, and an eye-opening look at London life during the Renaissance. A solid choice for English-history buffs who like to mix mystery with period detail.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

March 15, 2017
Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey returns in another gripping historical mystery set in sixteenth-century England. Rosamond is shocked when she learns that her stepfather, Sir Walter Pendennis, has died in an accident. Rosamond and her husband, Rob, set off for Sir Walter's estate in Cornwall. When they arrive, they are greeted by Rosamond's imperious, contentious mother, Eleanor, who is convinced Sir Walter was murdered and she demands that Rosamond and Rob track down his killer. As the pair launch their inquiries, Rosamond is stunned to learn that Sir Walter was a spy working for the Queen's spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, someone Rosamond has also worked for in the past. This gives a much darker and more dangerous aspect to the case. As they sort through motives and suspectsincluding papists, pirates, spies, and possible traitorsRob and Rosamond know they're getting close to finding the killer when their own lives are put in great danger. This meticulously researched, cleverly plotted story has plenty of twists and wonderfully colorful characters and will appeal to all historical-mystery fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)